Andy didn't know what else she could do. She had cried so much and so hard that now she was just hiccupping, her eyes were raw red, her throat was hurting and dry, her chest was going up and down, she had difficulty breathing normally.

She just couldn't believe what she'd just saw.

Miranda had insisted she should go to the ball with her, but Andy had work to do; she'd travel to Miami to finish an article and she had told Miranda this one week before the editor gave the invite. Yet Miranda, persistent as ever, continued to ask her over and over again. This warmed her heart, even though she wouldn't go to the party.

She finished her researches early and decided to surprise her lover. But the surprise was waiting for her at the party. When she entered the hall, she looked around for Miranda and found her hand in hand with Paul Schultz, the new CEO of Elias-Clarke. Miranda and some 'friends' finally got rid of Irv Ravitz, after he tried to get rid of her ten months after Paris Fashion Week (again) last year.

His hand let go of hers a moment after Andy had arrived and, when Miranda laughed about something, his hand found its way to her lower back. Andy wanted to vomit, to get out of here right away, but her legs wouldn't move. Tears began to form in her eyes and she swallowed hard the scream that formed in her throat. Miranda whispered something in his ear, she smiled genuinely and he made small circles on her back. She was relaxed.

Why did she invite me? Why? Obviously, she knew I'd decline the invite. She knew I had to work.

Then he took her hand again and they left the hall, going to… oh my God, I need to get the fuck out of here!

Andy ran.

Andy opened the door to the townhouse. She had been living here for nearly four months and she thought this was a clear signal that Miranda was taking their relationship seriously. How could she misunderstand this? Of course this was an easy-go to Miranda. She just needed to lie down on Miranda's bed every night.

Plaything.

Her dad had said it too. She said it wasn't like that; she and Miranda loved each other, neither was a plaything to each other. Andy scoffed at the thought. She felt like the first time she saw Miranda, she felt like an idiot, a lowly assistant, even she though she wasn't Miranda's assistant, she hadn't been for six years and they'd been together for almost two years. Every time Miranda said she loved her, she was beautiful and that she was proud of her, Andy believed her.

Andy laughed humorlessly when she reached the master bedroom. She went to the closet, took a nightgown and her pillow. She went to the guestroom and locked herself in. She brushed her teeth, took off her makeup and took a shower. She let the water wash off her humiliation, her sadness, her broken heart. So, there in the shower, she let her emotions take over and bawled her eyes out.

Andy went to bed. She checked the alarm clock. 11:45 p.m. She'd been at home forabout two hours and not a sign of Miranda. She swallowed hard, again that lump that formed in her throat. The images of Miranda and Paul going upstairs were stuck in her mind. She began to cry, again.

Footsteps in the stairwell woke her up. She took a look at the alarm clock. 00:35 a.m. This very morning she was leaving the townhouse.

When she closed her eyes again, she heard a knock at the door. She pulled the pillow over her head, but the knocking continued.

"Andrea, darling. Open the door."

No, just…

"Go away!" She yelled, before she could stop the words coming out of her mouth.

"Andrea!"

Miranda's voice was full of concern, and she sounded a little confused.

"I don't want to talk right now. Just leave me alone."

"Darling, I didn't know you were getting home today! Please, open the door. Come to bed."

"I'm already in bed."

"Our bed. Andrea, stop this right now. If I knew you were…"

Andy stood up out the bed and two went over to open the door. "What would you do?"

Miranda got more confused when she saw Andy.

"Were you crying?"

When Andy laid her eyes on Miranda, she couldn't help but feel disgusted. She smelled him. Her perfume was just lingering on her skin. She looked like she just… had a shower…

"Oh my God. No, I'll just go now."

Andy went into the master bedroom, directly to the closet. She pulled out a bag.

"What are you doing?" Miranda asked, while watching her in disbelief.

"Getting the fuck out of here."

"Andrea, what's happened?" Miranda tried to reach for her, putting a hand on the young woman's arm.

"Do. Not. Touch. Me." Andy growled.

"Andrea!" Miranda was… pleading.

Andy didn't say anything. She just kept throwing her clothes in her bag.

"Are… are you leaving?"

"I said so."

"You can't just leave; it's almost one in the morning!"

"Yes I can. Just let me go, ok. You already have someone to put in my place, so… just let me go."

"What are you talking about?" Miranda was clearly confused and Andy was disgusted with her.

"I saw you two. I was at the party, Miranda. I went there to surprise you, but oh wait, I was the one who got a surprise. Well, not all that surprised, no. I knew it. Given time, it showed me who is plaything to whom."

"Andrea, I don't have any idea what are you talking about. And you're never a plaything here. I thought that was clear."

"Until you find the next Mr Priestly." Andy took a breath and continued. "I'm talking about the fact I saw you and Paul."

"Oh." Miranda turned red.

Andy closed her eyes. "God. Never ever dare come close to me again. Forget my name, my number, that day we met, forget that I exist!" She slammed the bedroom door behind.

She was crying, again and then, she ran.

I, I can't get these memories out of my mind

And some kind of madness is started to evolve.

I, I tried so hard to let you go

But some kind of madness is swallowing me whole

I have finally seen the light

And I have finally realized

What you mean.

TBC